Secrets : Gallifreyan Dreams
by Dr.Dalek
Summary: It's Inshrakhata Night, the day that marks the beginning of a new year on Gallifrey and Theta fails to amuse himself at a posh party he's forced to attend. And he's mistaken by thinking that Koschei's presence could change it all for the better... A bit of seasonal Theta/Koschei fluff (and the second chapter contains serious smutt).
1. Social ladder-climbing Party

Huddled under a blanket while snuggling against the ancient wing chair Theta sat in the gloom; he chuntered morosely, his eyes locked on the blistering fireplace.  
He' tried dozing in the chair but hadn't only fallen asleep but off as well.  
He knew that he could reside in the parlour, like his parents, greeting guests and picking up conversations. He could _mingle_ , like the others.

But he didn't.

It was almost midnight, which would mark the beginning of Inshrakhata Night, the first of many nights of celebration and jollity; festivities sprouted all over Gallifrey like toadstools, leading to arrangements and rendezvous with hilarious consequences.  
It was a night where Silurians were roasted over open fires and new jokes were told*.

Almost every single student of the Academy had sneaked off to meet their family, friends or (in most cases) random strangers nearly as drunk as themselves who they'd hug, kiss and have an all-night party with under the pretext that it was done _with fine tradition_.

Soon the first pyrotechnics would be inflamed, leaving the sky ablaze with the most beautiful colours and patterns you couldn't even imagine; and what followed was the most sleazy, frisky and frolicsome night of all nights.  
And Theta was _grumpy_.  
At least he pretended to be.

Theta shifted in his chair, getting more uncomfortable while he tried not to hear the laughter from the dinner hall.  
Of course his parents had felt flattered because they had been invited to a dinner party. And in the same way as good parents feel responsible for their child Theta's parents felt responsible for him. Not really as parents, no; more in the way of pet owners. And it was like Theta wasn't as much badly brought up as ill-bred.  
But they loved him very much. They really did. They just liked to pretend that the way Theta had turned out to be wasn't their fault.  
But they only wanted the best for him.  
And that was why they had insisted on dragging him away from their nice and cosy home and forced him into meeting new people.  
Theta wasn't extremely anti-social. He was just anti-social. He didn't care for people as long as they stayed away from him.  
He had his friends and he liked them. Well, in fact he had just one friend and that was Koschei and he didn't like him at all, but that had nothing to do with it.

Point is, Theta didn't easily accustom himself to new surroundings. And he didn't like spending his holiday in society circles. Especially not on a holiday where he could get drunk and freeze to death outside in the snow and wake up with a different face and hair and personality after accidentally regenerating.  
Somewhere out there Koschei had the time of his life and Theta was missing out.  
And he found it unfair.

Theta had gotten out of the comfortable chair in the almost comfy living room. The hosts, whatever their names were, had been kind enough to let him reside in here after he'd complained, to his parent's embarrassment, that he wasn't feeling well.  
But Theta didn't feel as though he'd shamed his parents; after all he'd omitted that he wasn't feeling well because of all the stuck-up toffee-nosed twits they had invited.

The hosts, a lovely snooty couple as Theta had come to notice, weren't aristocrats because they didn't have that kind of thing on Gallifrey anymore. But not all former peers had grown out of their old habits so easily and therefore they had retained a certain aristocratic bearing.  
And Theta, who had grown up believing in equal opportunities and that all Time Lords are equal before the Dalek, viz. equally dead, couldn't get the hang of banquets where the food was worth more than your life and you'd fall in disgrace by accidentally picking the wrong out of 27 forks for caviar.

No, Theta was happy here, or at least as happy as he might get, by the fire and stopped himself from making the mistake of trying to join in on the fun in the next room.  
Or rooms.  
He had stopped in front of the door and stared at it before sitting down again.

By Borusa's Beard, these people didn't just have a dining room; they had a main hall, a main hall gallery, an atrium, a portico with antique pillars, hallways with endless parlours and screed heating in every room. And their house was believed to contain enough guest rooms for a small strike force to hide, including their General Staff. Just how posh could you get?

There was laughter from the next room and the occasional clinking of glasses.  
And it was drawing nearer, as though trying to suck him in, trying to entice him away from his comfortable world of tastelessly decorated lounges and induct him into the fascinating world of shallow feudal small talk.  
It wasn't until now that Theta had noticed the footsteps.  
The joyful conversations died away as a nearby door was closed. All that followed was footsteps and the silence as someone had come to halt, drawing in a deep breath.

There was a knock.  
Hastily Theta holed up beneath his blanket on the chair as though he'd dozed off.  
He stared at the floor with half closed eyes, listening attentively as the door was swung back and footsteps approached him.

The figure in front of him stopped only inches away from the wing chair, drawing nearer than Theta was comfortable with.  
And he could literally _hear_ it cracking a smile.  
"Stop pretending to be asleep, you're missing all the fun."

Theta's eyes darted upwards to meet Koschei's pitiful glare; he jumped from the wing chair, nearly bumping into Koschei.  
"You?" Theta snapped unbelievingly. But he seemed to brighten up at the sight of his best friend.  
Koschei smiled his meaningful smile as he patted Theta thoughtfully on the shoulder.  
"You shouldn't have come" Koschei said. "I didn't mean to" Theta replied as his gaze touched upon Koschei's uncommonly dandified clothes. Excellent... tailor-made... dark red and so beautiful...  
"No, I mean you shouldn't have come dressed like this" Koschei added with a smirk "Your attire..."  
"These are clothes" Theta snapped "I don't have any form of _attire_."  
"I can see that" Koschei replied and bit back a giggle.  
"And who brought you in?" Theta asked, arms folded in front of his chest. Koschei had followed him over to the window where they could overlook the silently sleeping fields that surrounded the house.  
"My parents" Koschei said while caressing Theta's shoulders "And they didn't only bring me in but up as well."

"Whatever that means" Theta snapped "And stop fondling me, you're creasing my jacket."  
"Which would be an improvement" Koschei added before taking a closer look at Theta.  
"Just listen to yourself! It's all this posh talk, it really gets to you" Theta pointed out before staring back out at the darkening surroundings glumly. "I knew we shouldn't have come. As soon as my parents received the invitation I had a bad feeling about this. I knew it'd be social ladder climbing party, I just knew it."  
"You could borrow one of my vests and we should certainly do something about your jacket" Koschei went on as though Theta hadn't said a word "You'd look adorable in it."  
"You have a spare vest?" Theta replied mockingly "Here?"  
"Not just one" Koschei went on, eliding Theta's cheeky comment "And if you ask me nicely I'll fetch it for you."  
Theta cocked an eyebrow at him, folding his arms more tightly.  
Koschei laughed at his enraged glare and headed for the door.  
"I'll fetch it nonetheless."

"It's strange, isn't it?" Theta began as Koschei re-entered the room and realized that Theta was having one of _those_ moments again.  
"We're brought up to believe in conformity, uniformity and equity but deep down we all crave one thing: to have more than all the others. We want to be equals but begrudge one another for every extra nut, bolt and screwdriver."  
"Dark blue with silver lining or purple?" Koschei asked cheerfully as he pressed two jackets against Theta's chest while weighing them up.  
"I mean we're meant to be universal" Theta went on as he got undressed absent-minded on Koschei's command "We're meant to be even and just fit."  
"It really fits you" Koschei went on, ignoring Theta's pondering "What do you think?"  
"I think it's a fraud" Theta growled as he put on the coat. Koschei nodded quietly.  
"Shame" he added while helping Theta out of the jacket again "I should have known that dark blue doesn't go with your lips."

"Could you stop making fun of me and just listen for a second?" Theta snapped as he digested Koschei's prior comments.  
"Of course" Koschei handed him a different vest "and get rid of those shoes."  
"I mean it!" Theta insisted.  
"So do I" Koschei reinforced his order "They're a disgrace."

" _You're_ a disgrace" Theta snarled "And you know why? Because you're terrible. You're worse than every single one of them, you're worse than the tasteless old ladies that try to find comfort in overpriced jewellery, you're worse than the twerps that try to spot the right spoon for pomegranate soufflé and you know why? Because you think this is fun! You think this is a game! You're not only rotten to the core but enjoy it. You play along so well, never really believing what they say but nodding with mild disinterest and doing anything to please as long as you want to. And you get along so well because they think that's manners."  
"And you're just jealous because _I_ can pull myself together when I'm in the mood and please hold your breath for a moment because it's rather hard to button up your shirt with your breast going up and down all the time."

Theta was so dumbstruck that he did in fact hold his breath for a moment.  
"You're driving me mad" he growled under his breath while Koschei met him at eye level. He smiled at him cheerfully. "Welcome to my world. And you look gorgeous."

He touched Theta's back of the head tenderly.  
Theta snorted quietly while staring into the smouldering fire.  
"Still displeased?" Koschei asked with a reserved respectability in his voice that made Theta want to scourge him with his own entrails. "Maybe I could help you taking pleasure in this..."  
"Koschei if you don't keep your greedy fingers to yourself I'm going to punch your lights out" Theta growled between gritted teeth while slapping Koschei's hands that had reached for his groin.  
"This is already the worst evening I've ever had and you don't have to try to make it even worse."

"If you want to stay as huffish as you are that's fine by me" Koschei retorted reservedly "But don't blame me. I told my parents that they shouldn't bother inviting you. You're not cut out for those... events."  
"What do you mean by that?" Theta snapped "And may any God help you, Kosch, if I find out that..."  
"You're not comfortable among fat cats and punters" Koschei cut him off dismissively "You're not used to having people around that can tell the difference between a lobster knife and a crayfish cutter."  
"And how come you're used to it?" Theta wondered.  
Koschei smiled reservedly "Let's say I was cut out for it. My parents used to throw big parties at the former Oakdown mansion before they moved here."  
"Your parents invited me?" Theta asked disbelievingly.  
"Yes" Koschei replied "And my mother has taste, since I noted the comment you made about my mother unaware of who you were talking about."

"I never knew you were a rich punter" Theta said without thinking at all.  
"My father has estates" Koschei replied omitting Theta's jealous remark.  
"He's a farmer" Theta added dismissively.  
"A farmer with estates and more land than you could ever dream of owning" Koschei went on without the slightest hint of bashful pride.  
"And yet he chose this snobby place for the celebration of Inshrakhata?" Theta asked.  
"You get the best view over _his_ fields" Koschei hissed into his ear. "And this 'snobby place' as you call it is the House of Oakdown."  
"Really?" Theta asked wonderingly "I thought the House of Oakdown was some kind of tribe."  
"It's 'House' as in family lineage" Koschei replied while rolling his eyes "Oakdown _is_ a dynasty. But the house of the House of Oakdown would have sounded stupid, don't you think?"  
"I think the whole dynasty caboodle is stupid" Theta retorted. Koschei watched him attentively as the first cogwheels inside of Theta's brain started to turn.  
"Oh, but you wouldn't go about insulting one of the finest dynasties of Gallifrey, would you? Especially not as long as you're entitled to talk to one of their offspring.

The warning bells inside of Theta's head didn't only ring but disintegrate at the dawning realization "You? Did you say Oakdown? You're from the House of Oakdown?"  
Koschei nodded.  
"Oakdown as in "You're one Oakdown of a full forest"?" Theta babbled without giving it much thought.  
"It's "One brick short of a full load"" Koschei replied with his frozen smile "And yes it is. And I've heard that groaner before."  
"But they are... I mean they... they're not just rich they're posh! They're... I never thought you would...but... but you always tap me for money!" Theta finally snapped.

Koschei laughed heartily while patting Theta on the back.  
"But that's just for the fun of it" Koschei replied, still smiling at Theta's pale face. "And don't worry, my father will pay my debts. Even if he has to sell some of his estates."  
"Or pumpkins" Theta added absent-minded.  
"Will you stop joking around?" Koschei snapped, slightly unnerved.

Theta stared at Koschei. Then his eyes grazed upon the room as though he'd never seen it before in his life.  
"You never invited me home" Theta mumbled quietly.  
"That's because I knew that you wouldn't care about any dynasty caboodle" Koschei replied "Because, frankly, you don't even have the required taste for it. To you it's all posh and fancy. And you say that because you don't see the difference."

"I _see_ a difference" Theta snapped, though not quite sure what Koschei meant but recognizing an insult when he heard one.  
Koschei folded his arms. "Such as?"  
Theta scanned the room thoughtfully.  
"The furniture, the decoration" he began, clutching at straws "It doesn't... match."  
Koschei popped his head to one side and blinked.  
"The room is richly decorated" he replied after a while "And it's very seasonal."  
"But that's the point" Theta ventured "It's not tasteful it's just expensive and you can see that. I mean, look at that glittering garlands; or the giant wreath above the fire place; or the rest of the festive ornamentation. It's... pushy. It's just showing-off."

Koschei straightened his head.  
"You don't like the decoration?" he asked thoughtfully, smiling a smile that made Theta feel uncomfortable. And Theta saw the quiet before the storm in his amber eyes. But he was too proud to step back now.  
"It's tasteless" Theta said self-conceived.  
"But it can be useful" Koschei retorted before grabbing a garland and slinging it around Theta's neck to suffocate him.

* * *

* What flies through the air shouting "Expropriate"? – A Dalek bailiff.  
What is the female Dalek's battle cry? – "Emancipate" **  
** Those jokes are new because they don't get old. They just get bad.


	2. Shag and Shackles

"Koschei get...bhmphmhf!"  
The glittering garland was pulled tighter around Theta's neck while Koschei picked up an (until now) decorative wooden apple and stuffed it into Theta's mouth.  
Then he leaned back, regarding his masterpiece thoughtfully.  
Koschei smiled. "You look pathetic."

"Mhmmphf mhh!" Theta protested.

Theta squirmed helplessly while his hands and feet were tied together with some more glittering garlands. He had already been swathed from head to toe with decorative festoons and ribbons. The sparkling garlands which Koschei tied around his ankles right now added a little aural extra since they were furnished with small bells and therefore jingled delightfully whenever Theta moved.  
"Tasteless, right?" Koschei smirked while he lashed up the last bits before stepping back from Theta.  
He watched his writhing friend with displeasing fascination - the glint in Koschei's eyes, Theta noted, augured the worst- before picking up a huge red ribbon and tied it around Theta's neck.

He nodded thoughtfully before positioning a foot on top of Theta to stop his senseless attempts to escape his grasp.  
"That really tops it off" Koschei giggled "And you look like the personification of festiveness. I wish I could put you on a pillar somewhere, you're very decorative."  
Theta turned red in the face and gnawed on the wooden apple until he managed to temporarily dislodge it; what followed was the throttled cry of agony.  
"Koschei...!"

"Oh, hush now and stop it, you're crumpling the tinsel" said Koschei while shoving the apple back into his mouth. "And now if you'd be so kind as to stop struggling for a moment..."

Theta was hauled up and dragged over to the wing chair. Koschei placed him on the seating upside down before untying his hands. But the comfort of blood rushing back into his whitened knuckles only lasted seconds since Koschei clamped his now separate wrists securely to the chair leg with jollily stripped ribbons.  
With his legs now dangling over the chair-back Theta looked up into Koschei's face from the seating, still gagged and becoming more desperate by the second.  
The more he writhed and shifted the more he sank into his current uncomfortable position.  
Koschei caressed his face and kissed Theta on the cheek.  
"Are you getting comfortable?" he asked mockingly while his hands travelled upwards over his chest until he'd reached Theta's thighs. Theta's eyes widened in horror and he locked eyes with Koschei desperately.  
"Khosch..." he managed before Koschei silenced him by placing a hand over his gagged mouth.  
Then he pressed his index finger against his lips demonstratively.

"Sh..." he whispered while kneeling down beside the chair "You don't want anyone of _them_ hearing you, would you?" Koschei nodded towards the door while locking on to Theta's gaze. "I don't think your parents would be pleased at all to see you like this."  
Theta mumbled something incomprehensible while biting down on the wooden apple harder.  
"Stop it" hissed Koschei while he caressed his cheeks again "You're gonna chip a tooth."  
But Theta insisted on swearing and gnawing at the gag.  
"Alright" Koschei sighed while trying to unknot the ribbon that held the gag in its current position "But try to scream and you're going to regret it."

"I always regret everything I do with you" gasped Theta while struggling for air before growling at him "And let go off me. What do you think you're doing? Just because you're a whippersnapper you think you can get away with everything."  
"Oh, I don't _think_ I can get away with everything" Koschei replied while staring at Theta intently "I _get_ away with everything. And it's got nothing to do with money. Let's put it down to my unrelenting determination, shall we?" "You mean vaingloriousness" snapped Theta "And now let go off me."

"I mean it" repeated Koschei insistently "Keep your voice down. You don't want the other guests to share in our little fun, do you?"  
"I don't care" growled Theta while thrashing in his festive shackles helplessly.  
Koschei's smile distorted into a slinky smirk.  
"You're a naughty little boy" Koschei chuckled "But I'll advise you to keep your mouth shut. I don't think that your parents would be... pleased to find you like this."  
"Neither would be yours" retorted Theta who hadn't given up all hope.

Koschei popped his head to one side while he regarded his struggling friend absent-minded.  
"Oh, I don't know" he replied eventually "Maybe they'd just scoop you up, drag you away silently and chain you to a bed in the farthest guest rooms to avoid the potential inconvenience a screaming and half naked Time Lord next door could cause among selected guests."  
"What do you mean 'half naked'?" snapped Theta and was barely surprised that Koschei had managed to strip him off his clothes before he could have finished his sentence.  
Koschei shook his head, still smirking. "You just never learn, do you?"

Theta hardly pulled at his restraints anymore; he was getting cold and tired of keeping on struggling while his arms and legs started to twinge and itch whenever he dared to move.  
Koschei kept himself busy with trying to untangle Theta's legs again in order to separate them properly.  
"I'll make you pay for this" snarled Theta while he looked up into Koschei's face behind the chair. His neck was killing him, his legs were numb but he was sure that they were going to start hurting again any minute now and he was beginning to feel quite dizzy due to the fact that he was lying upside down.  
"You're very cold" Koschei remarked while his fingers travelled over Theta's calves "Here, let me help..."  
With strength you'd hardly give him credit for Koschei managed to pin Theta's legs down on the chair's soft coating material while he rubbed his face against Theta's soft skin. His hot tongue lashed out to lick his freezing calves and Theta winced at every warm touch.

"Getting warm already?" Koschei asked mockingly while he rubbed some life back into Theta's twitching legs. Theta owed him a reply; he was too shocked due to the hot sensation to speak and yet too scared to scream in case he'd draw unnecessary attention from next room. All he elicited was a growl, contorted with pain.

Koschei's eager tongue blazed the trail as his lips approached Theta's groin, his hot breath moistening his bare and tender skin. He inched his way forward, coming nearer and nearer, sucking at Theta's now pulsating flesh, lapping at the first beads of pre-seminal fluid. Koschei drew in a deep breath, gasping for air at the sweet, sweaty smell between Theta's wet thighs and let go off one of Theta's legs to reach for his own throbbing member.  
Which had been a mistake.  
His mind cut in that the next sensible thing Theta would probably do was kick him hard in the face.  
And yet Theta failed to take advantage of Koschei's miscalculation due to the overwhelming desire that had stared spreading throughout his body.

Delirious with joy and lust Koschei buried his face between Theta's legs, nipping at his swelling cock, sucking hard at it, the delicate skin beneath his lips bruising merely at his touch.  
Theta yelped, tears welling up in his eyes. He was aroused by Koschei's stimulation and yet it hurt, Koschei's love bites hurt and Theta knew that it was only a matter of time until Koschei would draw blood.  
But that was Koschei, always so greedy and insatiable.

Koschei smirked viciously while reading Theta's thoughts.  
"I'm not greedy" Koschei replied while lifting his head; Theta watched nervously as Koschei's fingers felt for his now cramping anal cavity "I'm just used to getting what I want."

Koschei pushed in two fingers and Theta bit down on his lower lip until he felt the blood welling up in his mouth, literally biting back a scream.  
He'd expected a rough intrusion; in a way he'd already waited for it. And yet it hurt, Koschei's bare and rough fingers slipping their way into his tightening orifice hurt.  
Hot tears ran down his cheeks as Theta closed his eyes, daring not to sob as Koschei penetrated him ruthlessly with his fingers.  
"Shh, hush now" Koschei tried to appease Theta while positioning himself between his spread legs "Just grin and bear it."

It had hurt. Koschei forcing his twitching member into Theta's delicate cavity had hurt.  
Theta felt as though Koschei was ripping him open and tearing him apart.  
His ribs hurt; Koschei had pressed his hands upon his chest, squeezing every last bit of breath out of Theta contemporaneously while he thrust into him, his hips pumping against Theta's unresisting body.  
Theta concentrated on keeping his legs splayed for Koschei, hoping that he'd thereby facilitate a gentler penetration. He felt every thrust, every push and every twitch inside of his body. He felt Koschei inside of him, every inch of delicate skin that rubbed his swelling cavity sore.  
He tried to draw deep breaths, feeling every shove reverberating through his body, shaking at every deep convulsion, feeling him, Koschei, deeper and deeper, pushing on and on, harder, faster, dominantly...  
 _Demanding_...demanding so much... demanding his uncontradicted submission, thrusting... thrusting into him, faster and faster, beads of sweat forming on their bodies, hot skin chafing against shivering thighs, hip bone pounding against hip bone.

Theta didn't feel Koschei ejaculating inside of him, his hot seed scarcely burning in his already healing internal wounds.  
He was trapped in his own little world of denied pleasure, feeling too vulnerable to expose his lust, his violability. Theta held his breath while gritting his teeth, eyes wide open and fingernails digging into Koschei's hands. Koschei's fingers were no longer splayed across Theta's chest, they had reached for the garland around his neck, pulling it tighter and tighter, slowly asphyxiating him.  
Theta's yelp was choked off by the tightening garland, he barely flinched, trying hard to swallow while finding his windpipe blocked.  
But he was already drifting away, too far to panic...

Koschei waited; as the marks on his neck had passed red and started to turn purple Theta started to twitch uncontrollably, the increasing pressure on his throat eliciting the gushing release from his throbbing member.  
A smile danced across Koschei's lips and he let go off the garland and lapped at Theta's sticky token of love.

The next moment Theta could think straight again he found himself fondling Koschei, running his fingers through his blond hair.  
Feeling the lack of oxygen still dominating his mind Theta clasped his hands around Koschei's, panicky searching his gaze.  
"It's alright... you're just a bit unsettled, that's all. You're dehydrated and you're still shaking... I should get you something to drink..."

Theta felt Koschei slipping through his hands but failed to see him. His vision was swaying, he was still feeling dizzy and he didn't feel the ground under his feet.  
So he grabbed Koschei, holding on to him tightly while whispering:  
"Please, don't leave me... don't go..."  
"I'll be back in a minute" Koschei replied while sighing. But he held on to him, kneeling down with him nonetheless while caressing the tender spot between his shoulder blades.

"I'm so cold" whispered Theta nervously while snuggling up to Koschei.  
If Theta could have seen straight he would have seen Koschei rolling his eyes.  
"Lie down" Koschei said kindly but determined. Theta collapsed in his arms and Koschei had trouble supporting him any longer.  
They both ended up on the bedside rug in front of the gigantic fireplace, Theta on top of Koschei, his head resting on his chest. The sound of his hearts beating was all Theta needed to sooth him and he moved closer, listening intently at the pumping sounds that calmed him down.

He lifted his gaze and to meet Koschei's eyes; eventually he smiled affectionately before his eyelids shut on their own accord and he dozed off, feeling exhausted but somewhat contented and safe in Koschei's arms.


	3. Screw sobriety

_**Author's Note: I decided on making this a longer fluff so here it is: another chapter!  
And I apologise for the long (and possibly obscure) footnote. As some of you may know, (or don't know) I'm a huge Terry Pratchett fan (mayherestinpeace) and I loved his many humorous footnotes and therefore dared to include a pratchett-esque one in my story. And please leave a comment!** _

* * *

Koschei had just returned to Theta's side, handing him an abstrusely shaped glass with an agleam liquid inside.

There was so much noise and so many people. And so little room.  
Theta had protested as he'd been shoved inside the parlour but Koschei had shushed him and they had found a quiet corner near the window where they could both overlook the crowd as well as the illuminating fields outside.  
Theta met Koschei's gaze wordlessly. The clink of their glasses was consumed by the wafting conversations.

Theta sipped his drink in absolute silence while he tried not to let his thoughts get disturbed by the constant babbling around him.  
But that was what dinner parties were for, wasn't it? Pretentious drinks combined with far too expensive food and cosy chats.  
Theta's brows knitted as he stared darkly into his glass. Oh, how he hated the cosy chats.  
They were trained to be soldiers, right?  
Koschei and he had received training that allowed them to disembowel any possible combatant in seconds.  
So why was it necessary to stand politely in an overcrowded parlour and nod nicely at passers-by?

"Because that's manners" added Koschei and giggled childishly.  
"Stop reading my thoughts" snapped Theta and drained his glass in one go.  
"Then try thinking quieter" replied Koschei "Your constant rambling is getting on my nerves."  
"I'm not saying a word" protested Theta. Koschei acknowledged his remark with a pitiful smile.  
"And by the way, it's not overcrowded it's a pleasant atmosphere."  
"Of course" Theta retorted a bitter smile as Koschei handed a passing waiter their empty glasses "In fact the atmosphere is so pleasant it's overwhelming. No, you know what? It's so _wonderful_ it's choking me off."

Theta pushed passed Koschei, deliberately bumping into him while mumbling: "I need some air."

One side of the parlour consisted of windows only. Theta walked towards them silently, feeling the hubbub around him dying away slowly. There were no artificial sources of light nearby; only the blazing lights of Inshrakhata outside lighted up the room, casting the most beautiful colours you could even imagine over the nearby spectators.

Theta sat down on one of the wooden window sills. The white varnish scaled off beneath his fingers.  
No wonder the guests daren't come too close to the windows, he thought quietly. A cold breeze swirled around him; and the window wasn't even ajar.  
Beautiful but impractical, like everything else in here. _Vain_.  
No. If anything it's _vainglorious_.  
The House of Oakdown was known to have brought forth the most sophisticated Time Lords of all times. They were respect, treated with an archaic and inept kind of awe and commanding others admiration. They were greedy, money-grubbing smugly upper class scum.  
They were _fat cats_.  
And even thinking that Koschei was one of them...

"I always subsumed myself under the murine category." Theta turned his head to find Koschei sitting beside him, offering him another luxuriously sparkling glass. "Well, rodent-like at least."  
"No, you're definitely of the feline persuasion, sneaking up on me like that" snapped Theta and hit his chest several times "One of my hearts stopped beating for a second!"  
"Well it's a relief that you have a spare heart, isn't it?" chuckled Koschei. He touched Theta's forehead gingerly while pushing the hair out of his face.

The quietness was accompanied by slow and staid lounge music and the distant sound of explosions. Both Koschei and Theta were showered in iridescent lights.  
"You're too proud to say it" said Koschei and smirked.  
"Say what?" asked Theta.  
"Say that you're sorry" replied Koschei. Theta wasn't sure whether it was an explanation or an order. Either way he didn't care. He bit his lower lip while staring out of the window.

"I know what you're thinking about my family" said Koschei while staring inexpressively into his glass "And I mean it when I say 'I don't' care'."  
Meeting Theta's inquisitive stare Koschei's lips distorted into a smile.  
"Let's say we're even."

Theta eyed him up closely while considering this.  
"Why?" he asked, suspicion rising "what have you done?"  
"Just presenting my compliments to your parents."  
"What did you say?" snapped Theta.  
Koschei cocked an eyebrow at him. "I was just being conversational."  
"You're never conversational unless you're aiming to achieve something" Theta went on while eyeing him up carefully "Which is usually death and destruction."

Koschei laughed haughtily, patting Theta on the back amicably.  
"My dear Theta..." he began but was cut short by Theta in an instant.  
"There, you're doing it again" he pointed out nervously "What's this all about?"  
"Nothing" replied Koschei levelly "All I'm saying is that you don't have to feel bad for what you're thinking of the House of Oakdown."  
"Because..." Theta encouraged him to go on.  
"...because I may have out of pure unthoughtfullness and unintentional intimations insinuated that we're ravished by one another."

Koschei raised his glass and sipped his drink in absolute silence. Absent minded he stared at Theta who tried to digest what he'd just heard.  
Theta opened his mouth. He shut it again.  
Then he gawped at Koschei. He was reduced to silence as Koschei's words, replayed in his mind over and over again, set off alarm bells.

The buzz of conversations of uttermost importance and exuberant laughter filtered down to Theta's subconscious. So he avoided his by now standardised outcry of indignation*(* "Koschei!") and made do with shouting at the top of his voice:  
"You did what?"  
"I told them we were courting" replied Koschei levelly "That's what parlours are for."  
"We're not courting!" snapped Theta, furiously grabbing Koschei's shoulders.  
"I know" he replied with a smile on his lips "Fascinating, isn't it, how misunderstandings simply pop into existence."

Theta jumped to his feet, trying to pull Koschei after him.  
"Koschei, you'll find my parents and then you'll apologise to them for being so stupid and explain that we're _not_ courting!"  
"Relax" Koschei reinforced his grip on Theta's hand, pulling him back onto the windowsill in one swift movement. "It's Inshrakhata; no one's going to take _anything_ serious."  
"But you shamed my parents" protested Theta.

"I'm sorry, you're absolutely right" there was a glint in Koschei's eye " _That's_ what parlours are for. A place to embarrass your parents."  
"And I'm sure you know what you're talking about" growled Theta as he turned his back to Koschei. His gaze travelled glumly over the dark fields outside.

Koschei popped his head to one side as if listening to an inner voice while he regarded Theta thoughtfully. It was his usual tactic; he didn't have to bother building up their mental bond and searching Theta's mind for an explanation because sooner or later Theta would be annoyed by the dull glance Koschei was darting at him, hence speaking his mind voluntarily.

"Don't give me that look, as if I wouldn't know about the incident caused by your newly manufactured time bomb" replied Theta while folding his arms.  
Koschei laughed out loud at the mere memory.  
"You should have seen the look on my aunt's face... well, I guess you wouldn't have because of the smoke on most of her flying limbs blocking the view."  
"I heard it detonated in her hands" Theta went on "Which in my opinion should have been qualified as attempted murder."  
"It didn't detonate in her hands, it exploded as she dropped it" Koschei contradicted "And it was brought to a favourable issue. Not too favourable from her husband's point of view, of course, with her no longer being the woman he'd married."  
"She regenerated into a man" snapped Theta "And you shouldn't joke about it. It must have come as a terrible shock."

"At the latest in their bedroom" Koschei burst out laughing.  
At which point Theta eventually realized why Koschei's laughter was getting on his nerves.  
It wasn't the tasteless subjects he chose to joke about, it was the way he laughed about them. He laughed like the others, the rest of the spineless newly rich stuck-up twits, a laughter that connected superficiality with humourlessness.

Koschei was fitting in. While being regarded as the rotten apple he still didn't fall far from the tree.  
His behaviour may be regarded inappropriate; but it was only considered inappropriate because he was part of the high society without anyone daring to question it.  
And, at heart, Koschei _was_ part of it.  
To stand out from the crowd you have to be part of it...

"That's a striking paradox" noted Koschei "When you're part of the crowd you're evidently not standing out. Yet when you're standing out how come you're associated with the crowd?"  
Theta owed him a reply.  
"And I'd be really glad if you'd stop referring to me as an uptight twit."  
"It was 'stuck-up' not 'uptight'" countered Theta without giving it too much thought.  
Koschei harrumphed. "I'm sure I read 'uptight' somewhere up there. Even in your head you're scrawling. Either way, I'm not uptight."

"Says who?" asked Theta mockingly.  
"Says me" Koschei nearly cut him off, eliciting a suppressed hiss from Theta as one of his hands closed around his crotch.

Theta's eyes widened in horror as he felt his friend's warm fingers caressing the tender spot between his legs and he protested: "Kosch...!"  
but was reduced to silence by Koschei. He pressed the index finger of his free hand against his lips while locking eyes with Theta.

Theta said nothing, struggling to cast off Koschei's commanding glare. Though he buried his hands in his lap, pressing down hard to keep Koschei in the best way possible from fingering him.

"Koschei you can't do this in public, other guests are watching us!" hissed Theta through gritted teeth while miserably failing at restraining Koschei's eager fingers.  
"So, who's uptight now?" taunted Koschei.  
"I mean it!" snapped Theta before Koschei clamped a hand over his mouth.  
Theta struggled until Koschei leaned closer, causing both of them to stop in mid-motion.

"Right now there's no-one watching us" Koschei explained in a level voice "And if you keep your voice down no one will pay you any attention whatsoever." He leaned down further until their foreheads bumped. "Received and understood?" Koschei asked and smiled.  
Theta snarled furiously behind the hand still pressed over his lips.  
"Look, I can't have you shouting all the time" Koschei went on "but if you promise to be good now and behave..."  
Carefully Koschei retrieved his hand, smiling at Theta's attempt in biting down on it.

Theta leaned back, his head resting against the cold window pane.  
His eyes scanned the surrounding guests nervously. True, they weren't too close and consumed by their own fancy talk and it was dark and all but... well, you never knew. And since Koschei had started masturbating him it appeared to him as if the others were constantly drawing nearer.

"That's just your imagination" commented Koschei on Theta's thoughts "Because you're feeling so horny right now."  
"ShutupKoschei" hissed Theta while evading Koschei's gaze.  
He blushed as he felt the blood rushing down into his pelvic area (though he wondered how enough blood was still left in his face, bearing in mind the nagging pressure building up between his thighs).

His flesh hardened under Koschei's eager touch. Theta bit down on his lower lip, moaning quietly while Koschei was pleasing him manually. Koschei's other hand was resting on his chest, firmly pressing against his ribs as he picked up the pace, forcing the air out of Theta's lungs, controlling every drawn breath, every gasp.

Theta struggled for air, and had just started taking pleasure in the slow asphyxiation as Koschei retrieved both of his hands to give his best attention back to his half-empty glass.

Panting heavily Theta nearly collapsed against Koschei. He struggled, got hold of one of his hands, and led it back to its previous destination while Koschei was busy retaining his upright position.  
Theta looked a smirking Koschei into the eye, silently drooling; he shoved Koschei's hand beneath his clothes, giving a pleasurable moan as Koschei's fingers brushed against his hot and sweaty skin.

Koschei shot him a glance, the smile on his face spreading as he nodded to Theta.  
His hand rested on Theta's skin unmoved.  
Frustrated by the turn of events and Koschei's sudden lack of interested Theta growled quietly; his face brushing against Koschei's neck as he snuggled up closer. Right now he was too absorbed in his own resentment to even hear the footsteps approaching them.

"I daresay, where have you been prowling around? Hiding in the dark like a Predawn Prawn* instead of appreciating the convened guests. You should be ashamed of yourself."  
Koschei lifted his gaze, smiling boldly at his mother before turning his attention back to the stunned Theta.  
Theta gawped at Koschei's extravagantly beaded mother who was beating a hasty retreat. "I do beg your pardon Theta-Sigma, I didn't see you there. It's all this darkness my dear son prefers. Though he should know better" at which point she turned her attention back to her grinning son.  
Eventually Theta dared to breathe out, reassured that Koschei's mother hadn't noticed her son masturbating him.  
"I don't fund your excessive expenses for nothing. These clothes you are wearing had been exclusively tailored from the most luxuriously fabrics. Not even the Lord President himself holds possession of such fine garments. Therefore you'd oblige me if you wore it in _illuminated_ places for a change. No false modesty."

She patted her son's cheeks carefully and with a peculiar reluctance. Koschei's watchful eyes did not escape that she was wiping her hands on her sumptuous dress absent minded as she strode away.

Though Theta failed to notice even her absence as he was still gawping at the empty air in front of him.

"Close that little mouth of yours, will you?" said Koschei while he placed a firm hand on Theta's jaw, snapping it shut "Your sensual seduction is too tempting."  
"Did she...?" Theta mumbled flabbergasted.  
"No" Koschei cut him short while readjusting his grip on Theta's still rock-hard limb "And she wouldn't have noticed us if I'd had your dick in my mouth while you're stripped naked. She's mindless of things that surpass her understanding and convictions and she'd rather drop dead than admit their existence. If she wants to, her non-observant skills can be remarkable."

Theta let that sink in before adding meekly:  
"Are you _sure_ she didn't..."  
"Look" Koschei interrupted him again and sighed, amazed by Theta's ignorance "It's too dark, alright? She couldn't have seen it. And now stop grouching or I'll stop tossing you off."  
"But Kosch..." Theta kept on babbling.

"Fine" snapped Koschei and let his hand slacken off.

Theta growled, both out of annoyance and uncertainty, before huddling against Koschei and kissing his neck tenderly.  
But Koschei, as always, played hard to get and moved away from him.  
Theta swallowed, the throbbing pulsation beneath his clothes reaching a painful limit.  
With accusing eyes he stared at Koschei, increasing his grip on Koschei's hand and rubbing it longingly against his own groin. He elicited a small, unsatisfied whimper as he rubbed his forehead against Koschei's neck before thrusting with his neglected limb into Koschei's hand.

Koschei rolled his eyes while resting his head against Theta's.  
Theta leaned back, his back supported by the window pane, and moaned barely audible as Koschei leaned in closer, showering Theta's neck with butterfly kisses.  
Eventually Koschei intensified his touch beneath Theta's clothes, stroking the swelling flesh, dominating its rhythm, its force.  
Theta gasped and moaned as he struggled for air, in fact he acted louder than Koschei was actually comfortable with.  
But he knew there was no stopping Theta now. Once Theta's mind was stripped off its fears and anxieties unbridled uncontrollableness was all that awaited you. Though Koschei had dreamed of taming it, the _it_ that lay beyond Theta's limiting boarders of imagination...  
And deep down he longed for control over the beast inside...

In the mean time Koschei made do with locking their jaws in a sheer endless kiss until he'd hear choking noises from Theta.  
He may not keep Theta from moaning and displaying his pleasure but he _could_ keep him from being heard by suffocating him.

Theta shivered beneath Koschei's violently pumping hand, his hips thrusting uncontrollably as his throbbing member snuggled against Koschei's fingers, playfully penetrating them, enticing him, demanding its climax.

Quickly Koschei had sneaked his other hand in under Theta's garments, feeling that Theta was close, so close to the edge. While sealing his lips with an affectionate kiss Koschei didn't hear Theta screaming but felt it as he shamelessly ejaculated on his hands.  
And Koschei felt every feral howl and cry of the beast as it was set free only to start decaying while passing its zenith.

A brief moment later Koschei and Theta were sitting side by side quietly.  
Since Koschei knew how embarrassed Theta tended to be after having an orgasm he'd considered getting him another drink. But since the sweeping flood of lust had receded Koschei rather felt than remembered that he'd been drinking throughout the night without really noticing it.  
And, to his annoyance, he also felt that he was going to pass out soon.

Therefore remaining on the windowsill alongside Theta didn't seem such a bad option after all.  
Until he saw the shy look on Theta's face as he asked:  
"You wouldn't care to... dance with me, would you?"

Koschei sighed. He knew that this was a sure recipe for disaster but he'd caught a glimpse of Theta's eyes and the vulnerable look he was shooting him and before his brain could have protested he already found himself among the other guests, in the bright light, in the _centre of attention_.  
And he knew that they were watching.  
Well, screw sobriety, it's Inshrakhata!

And Koschei felt the world around him spinning slowly as he danced, holding Theta's hand tenderly.  
And while smiling peacefully at Theta he conked out.

* * *

*The Predawn Prawn (lat. _Penaeus Lucifugus attonarii_ ) is a quite interesting aquatic crustacean found only in Gallifrey's breathtaking Th'alijha Bijhura, also known as Ruby Bay. As already indicated by its name it's the only shade-loving animal (more commonly known under the slightly misleading name 'Nightshade Prawn'**) ever to be discovered on Gallifrey.  
Due to its inability to produce melanin it retains a pale and noble complexion yet it lacks any kind of self-protection against UV radiation. If exposed to direct sunlight the crustacean's organ's will overheat and explode, showering its surroundings in colourfully shimmering bits (This phenomenon is also known as 'The Big Splash'). The name does not refer to their ability to be observed before dawn*** but indicates that their bodies 'splash' around predawn in the most beautiful colours, since the colours are depending on the angle of sunlight.  
**To which "Voleyard's Valiant Taxonomy for the lettered Time Lord" owes its, by now legendary, "Prawn Pedigree" where the 'Nightshade Prawn' is numbered among the potato family.  
***Since they are shade-loving they can only be observed in the dark, hence, never.


	4. Bh'ajshra Ct'hore

_Stardust was blown into the TARDIS as another galaxy formed in a colourful explosion right in front of the Doctor's eyes.  
Only the Doctor failed to take any notice._

 _With his hands folded in front of his chest and one of his feet on the control panel he rested on the settee, absorbed in his own thoughts.  
Only when the TARDIS' doors creaked and clattered he bothered to amble over and shut the doors instinctively right before a small asteroid could have crashed into the TARDIS' interior._

 _The Doctor sighed, staring wide-eyed into space while the buttons beneath his fingers seemed to sizzle.  
It was a week after Inshrakhata – well, since Gallifrey no longer existed, there _was _no more Inshrakhata. But technically, if it hadn't been time-locked and if he'd been there and not on the far other side of the universe it would have been Inshrakhata.  
And somehow the Doctor tended to feel rather gloomy around the Gallifreyan holidays.  
It was no use denying it._

 _He felt it. He felt it in his blood, in his veins.  
Seldom had the Doctor felt homesick. It was childish and he knew it. If Gallifrey would still exist it wouldn't be like he expected it to be.  
There would be no Inshrakhata, definitely not for him.  
He would have been court-martialled, or executed or, in the worst case, sentenced to life-long heavy labour, hence cleaning and chopping vegetables for the field kitchen._

 _The Doctor grinned darkly as he pushed some buttons and set new co-ordinates absent-minded.  
Well, at least the other soldiers wouldn't fear death after having tasted _his _Goulash*, he added mentally. (*Which wasn't only made from a variety of meats but bits you didn't even know belonged to any sorts of animals.)_

 _There would be no Inshrakhata, no festivity. Just death and destruction.  
A pensive smiled flickered over his lips.  
He'd said that a lot in his younger days. When the world hadn't consisted only of war's atrocities, when the despised Master had been his beloved Koschei...  
Koschei had always caused death and destruction.  
But back then he hadn't cared about it._

 _Mind you, he'd been thinking about him a lot lately. Well, about Koschei, well technically not about Koschei, just Inshrakhata with Koschei, well, he'd been thinking about how much he'd hated Koschei around Inshrakhata._

 _And the posh parties. And the expensive celebrations.  
Completely out of touch with the real world. People with their heads in the clouds, living in a different world.  
And now they were gone like the rest of it._

 _A brief, grieving sigh escaped the Doctor's lips as he tried to focus on the control panel._

 _"_ _So" he announced to the world in general "since there's nowhere to go back to let's advance. In time. Or something."  
Knowing that this had been the stupidest announcement he'd ever made he was, for the first time, glad that he no longer had any companions on board.  
After he had parted ways with Donna he'd felt... well, empty.  
But it was an emptiness he felt he couldn't do anything against.  
Every of his dear companions, no, every one he'd had to leave behind had left a gap inside of him, a cleft which couldn't be closed. And the more ways parted the bigger the cleft grew.  
By now it had reached an abyssal extent._

 _But he was the Doctor, right?  
So he kept on travelling and met new people  
And every knew face he saw was only the beginning of another goodbye._

 _The rumbling beneath his feet had stopped, indicating the TARDIS' materialization.  
The Doctor took another look at the co-ordinates on the screen before pulling a wry face._

 _"_ _Victorian Era again, eh?" sighed the Doctor and trotted over to the exit.  
He pushed back the doors, breathed in deeply and coughed.  
He slammed the door behind him shut hastily.  
"Oh what glorious days of child labour, poverty and air pollution! But high standards of personal morality if you can afford it. Am I right, sir?"_

 _The Doctor smiled darkly at a passing well-dressed, middle aged man.  
But his face dropped as the recipient turned.  
"But that's impossible..." the Doctor mumbled, backing up to the TARDIS until his back was pressed against the wooden door._

 _"_ _There you are," the Master smiled cheerfully. Gnashingly, the Doctor had to admit that Victorian sartorial styles really became the Master. Especially the sideburns...  
"I've been expecting you since..." the Master retrieved a fob watch from his brocade cloak coat "...Tuesday, I think. You're late."_

 _The Doctor stared at him disbelievingly.  
"What?" he stammered as the Master approached "What?!"_

 _"_ _Come on, there's no time to lose," the Master pushed the Doctor against the doors which swung back and sent him falling to the floor.  
The Master helped the Doctor back to his feet, brushing off his clothes affectionately.  
"We're gonna be late anyway." _

_While whistling under his breath the Master approached the controls, typing in co-ordinates and setting their destination.  
The Doctor, too stunned to even protest, managed to quaver after a while:  
"Why are you here?"_

 _The Master smiled at him warmly._

 _"_ _It's Inshrakhata. What did you expect?"_

Inshrakhata Night marked the beginning of many nights of celebration and jollity.  
Inshrakhata had tended to continue for weeks, weeks of Time Lords dying of alcohol induced intoxication and TARDISES crashing into buildings.

So a former Lord President had put his foot down (or, rather, his hand, what with him being in a wheelchair) and he'd said "We can't have people killing themselves or innocent bystanders just because it's a time for festive activities and alcohol consumption*." (*This attitude is, among others, evidence why Time Lords are superior to humans.)

So he'd invented Bh'ajshra Ct'hore, which roughly translates as "Just sleep it off", two days of abstinence and austereness between the first solstice celebration and the second one**. (**It would seem rather cheap to celebrate only one solstice when Gallifrey's orbited by two suns, right?"

And the Lord President's name has been long forgotten, and so has the true meaning of Bh'ashjshra Ct'hore. But it had become a tradition and wasn't 'not knowing what this is all about' what made a tradition a tradition? Besides, it's easier to explain to your children that it's alright to end up naked and crying in the neighbours backyard IF you'll spend the next days lethargic and remorseful. Anyway, it's a lot easier to hide that you're hung-over if you lie low for two days, right?

So a tradition had been invented. A tradition to be abstinent, penitent and celibate for two days...

The house of the House of Oakdown was a noble manor with estates and provided employment for more than a few dozen servants.  
Though its fields proved to be quiet during Bh'ajshra Ct'hore since work had been reduced to the bare minimum needed.  
And so silence abided over the frozen land. No stable-lad came to groom and exercise the horses, no peasant took the trouble to take a look at his farm animals today.

So, scarcely anybody would walk past the disused hayloft today.  
And that was a good thing.  
Otherwise the passers-by would have been shocked by the noises that protruded from _inside_ of the hayloft; and not only because it was Bh'ajshra Ct'hore.

The indecent noises escaped, with what appeared to be smoke and vapour from an old oil lamp, the wooden hut via a broken window. And they had roused more than a dozen small rodents from their hibernation.

Koschei was on top of Theta, grinding him into the decomposing hay. Theta lay beneath him, heavily gasping, moaning and screaming, both with lust and pain since the straw had turned out to be spikier than expected.  
Their love play had commenced oh so tender but had taken on violent tones soon enough.

Koschei was greedy. He was always so greedy and bore Theta a grudge for not submitting to his desires. Theta could give him so much more... there was a hunger inside of him, a covetous, edacious side...

A displeased groan escaped Koschei's lips. He stared down at the conquered body beneath him – the body that held so much passion and fervour- and thrust in deeper and deeper as Theta dug his nails into his arms.

But Theta kept restraining it, kept it away from Koschei, out of his reach... Theta dared to deny Koschei control over his darkest arousal, dared to chastise him.

Fingers, stiff with excitement and arousal scratched over Theta's chest until they drew blood. Violently pounding him, Koschei's heated flesh chafed against Theta's, rubbing him and bolting him into the vibrating wood trusses.  
Koschei, assailed by fury and impatience, knocked his forehead against Theta's, thereby painfully enforcing their mental bond so that he could scream and scold him in his mind. Theta winced underneath him, helplessly trying to wave him away. Pleased by Theta's evident suffering Koschei smirked and kissed his moistened cheeks.

Overcome with malicious joy Koschei pushed his throbbing member in Theta's tightening cavity up to the stop, granting him a few intense thrusts before coming unashamedly inside of him.  
And he was more than pleased that he could hear him howling back at him in his mind.

Koschei nuzzled Theta's neck tenderly.  
Shortly after this tender display of affection he collapsed on top of him, thereby pounding him one last, hurtful time into the straw.  
The loud thudding noise was followed by a faint sigh and a muffled "Koschei..."

Koschei rolled on to his side, thereby relieving Theta from his weight.  
Theta, slightly coughing and sighing, struggled to sit up straight.  
"Thank you" he mumbled coldly and glared at Koschei.  
Koschei retorted a snigger.

"I don't know why you're always doing this..." growled Theta while rummaging through the scattered straw.  
"Doing what?" asked Koschei.  
"Doing it over and over again" snapped Theta "And where are my clothes?"  
Koschei watched him unperturbed while he combed through the straw. Eventually he pushed them into his hand, which earned him another glare.  
Koschei wrapped an arm around Theta's shoulders tenderly.  
"Just push off" snapped Theta, shoving his hands aside and climbing down from the hayloft's upper area.  
Koschei stared down at him as Theta continued getting dressed. Knowing that a grumpy Theta would speak his mind soon enough Koschei leaned over the ladder.  
"I wish you wouldn't smash into me every time after you're finished" growled Theta. He still fought with his sleeves, his moist and sticky skin making it impossible for him to slip into his garments.  
"I mean it" he went on while looking up into Koschei's blank face "I'm sick and tired of all those bruises. And you're getting heavier, Koschei. Next time you'll crush my ribcage, I just know it."

Koschei nodded thoughtfully, giving him an annoying feline stare.

Theta frowned, staring back morosely at Koschei, his otherwise soft and tender lips pressed together into a thin line.  
"What?" he snarled, his voice both echoing in the deserted loft and Koschei's skull. But Koschei remained unimpressed, descending the ladder with precise steps.  
It was the quiet chuckle which escaped his lips that was the final straw.  
"Do you think this is funny?" Theta roared, grabbing Koschei by the collar as soon as he came within reach.  
Koschei grinned calmly, disentangling Theta's fingers and separating them from his collar casually. "You're creasing my shirt" mumbled Koschei; he hardly noticed Theta's eyes widening in deep-red fury.

"And yes, I think it's hilarious that you're thinking about final straws while we're in a hayloft" Koschei, the epitome of calmness, went on. "Although" he went on while keeping Theta softly from strangling him "And it's not the first time that you're ticking me off because you're feeling insecure. You're a very neurasthenic character, if you don't mind me saying so. But it's beyond me why you're constantly staring out of the smashed window, what's so interesting out there?"

At which point Koschei had joined Theta's side in front of the window. His hand lashed out and closed around Theta's fingers as he was about to slap him in the face.  
He felt Theta's skin tingling at the sensation of his firm grip while his arm sagged.

"Someone's been listening..." Theta mumbled forlornly.

* * *

"So what? Someone's been listening to me shagging you and, may I add, I hope they enjoyed what they heard. Who cares?" Koschei sat down on an antiquarian fauteuil with fake lion's paws as legs. Theta was resting on Koschei's bed, not paying Koschei any attention whatsoever as he pricked his ears and listened for footsteps on the corridor.

"I mean obviously _you care_ , but that's not answering my question" Koschei went on while regarding Theta thoughtfully with a look on his face ranging from pity to surprise. "Do you really think anyone would be eavesdropping on us?"  
"Maybe your parents" replied Theta and hushed Koschei while listening intently.  
"Dear God, no!" Koschei stared aghast at Theta "They wouldn't want to know what I'm doing in my room for love or money and I used that phrase deliberately because you know what my parents are like. And stop cupping your hand around your ear, you look ridiculous."

Koschei took a seat beside Theta, placing both of his hands in his lap. "Keep your hands off me" snapped Theta, trying to push him away while he kept staring at the door like a basset hound that had been left outside in the cold for too long.  
"Acting coyly, eh?" Koschei smirked while slapping his hands down on Theta's thighs, nails digging into his skin.

"We're not supposed to do that" snarled Theta, knocking his hands aside. They ended up rolling around on the bed's counterpane until Koschei managed to pin Theta down while kneeling above him.  
"I said get off!" yelled Theta.  
"Oh, and all of a sudden you're not worried that anyone might hear you?" replied Koschei mockingly while thrusting his knees against Theta's thighs.  
"As long as I'm putting up a fight they can't say that it happened consensually," gasped Theta, hissing in agony under his breath.  
Koschei's brows furrowed; Theta seized his bafflement to kick him in his nether regions.

"It's Bh'ajshra Ct'hore," Theta explained while sitting up beside him. Koschei had hugged his knees, snarling despiteous "We're not allowed to get romantically involved."  
"I wouldn't call it romantically involved," groaned Koschei "I'd just settle with 'annoying'. And since when are you holier than the Lord President himself?"  
"Some rules are necessary" replied Theta.  
"Of course," added Koschei, trying to forget the stinging pain in his groin "and we're breaking them necessarily."

"I mean it" snarled Theta. His honesty nearly managed to scare Koschei.  
"We shouldn't have done it in the hayloft. We shouldn't have done _it_ at all. It's a holy day."  
"I thought it was a holiday" replied Koschei, sitting up carefully.  
"Will you stop that?" snarled Theta, raising his voice more than necessary. Koschei regarded him with silent astonishment.

"I'm feeling ashamed," Theta added after a while "It feels... weird. It's like...killing a small, cute animal..."

Theta turned to catch a glimpse of Koschei's blank expression.  
"Don't you ever feel guilty about anything?" asked Theta, speaking his mind.  
And he needn't even read Koschei's thoughts to know the answer.

Theta arose in silence and headed for the door.  
"I'm going to my room," he said, hand halfway to the door handle and paused again. After due consideration he added "Do I have a room?"  
"We have spare guest rooms if that's what you mean," replied Koschei who busied himself with trying to chose a book from a set of bookshelves "unless, of course, you'd prefer it to stay here and remain my little mistress."

Theta clenched his fists before pushing the door open. He felt the anger bubbling up inside of him, he was frustrated, no, furious because Koschei couldn't, not even for one second, shut his gob and keep his thoughts private. Half crazed with fury he sought his mind for the right reply, for words that would convey his impotent rage.  
He found two.

"Fuck off."

After slamming the door he'd rounded a corner, dashed through two corridors and darted into the next storeroom available.  
Eventually he dared to breathe again.  
He may have been furious; but he feared that Koschei's fury, contrary to his own, would be merciless.  
Theta held his breath while quietly tiptoeing out of his hiding place.

Alright, alright.  
He'd overreacted; that was all, as simple as that. It wasn't Koschei's fault. Neither was it his. So he could just try to find Koschei's room again and, well, pop in, explaining that this was all some kind of misunderstanding and then...  
Theta stopped his aimless course near in the next corridor.  
...and then Koschei would rip his head off.

Theta sighed, turning on his heel.  
No. He liked his head where it currently was, especially on top of his neck.  
He'd find a different way, he'd...

Theta stopped again, pricking his ears.  
He could have sworn he'd heard someone whispering. Or hissing under their breath.  
And he felt as if he was being watched...

One of the servants brushed past him, hardly paying him any attention.  
Theta ventured clearing his throat and tried the intergalactic "Err..."  
The chambermaid stopped and turned her head. Theta found a pair of dark and slitted eyes staring back at him.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to...err..." Theta gave it another try and swallowed "Would you kindly give me the directions to my room? I appear to have lost my way..."  
"Yeah," snarled the chambermaid while sniffing at him "you've wandered out of your master's bedroom."  
"I beg your pardon?" gasped Theta without thinking.  
"Listen" the chambermaid went on while pulling Theta closer "The butler heard you. I _saw_ you through the open window. The personnel knows about it."  
Theta's shoulders sagged. He stared at his feet, muttering to himself.  
"You should be ashamed of yourself" spat the chambermaid "You brought shame upon this house by shamelessly fornicating on a blessed day. On blessed property."

"I didn't..." Theta stammered, feeling the colour draining from his face.  
"We heard you" snapped the chambermaid "And now crawl back to the young master's room, you 'lil wench."  
"No, I didn't..." Theta protested as he got pushed into the direction he'd come from.  
He recognized the corridor and sheer terror seized him as he found himself being pushed closer and closer towards the dreaded door.  
And he had to explain to Koschei...

"No, please," whimpered Theta "Please, I don't want..."  
"Just get in" snarled the chambermaid, gripping his shoulders with increasing force.  
"No!" Theta snapped, squirming free of her grip "Don't do that, just... don't. I don't want to, I don't want to see him again!"  
His panicky reply earned him another dismissive glare.

"Playing the blushing virgin already, are we?" snapped the chambermaid.  
Theta swallowed again, composing himself.  
Alright. This was it. Sink or swim. This could either go wrong or go completely wrong. And he was still struggling for answers...  
"Koschei's... I... I didn't _want_ to..." Theta stammered "We didn't do it by mutual consent."

The chambermaid furrowed her brows while staring at him with her hands akimbo.  
"I... he..." Theta gulped, the words breaking into a run as his brain had lost sight of them.  
So he closed his eyes, hoping that this would save his neck.  
And if Koschei would wring it later on... well, at least he'd have a decent motive.

"He raped me. I didn't want to sleep with him... Koschei raped me."


	5. Abysmal hurt and affectionate comfort

A slap.

Theta winced.  
He touched his cheek tenderly, feeling the pulsating handprint.  
He felt that he'd deserved it. But he was afraid that he'd received the slap in the face for the wrong reason...

Theta stared into the chambermaid's face wide-eyed.  
"How dare you accuse the young master of such infamous actions!" she roared before spitting at him. "And if you don't push off right away I'll give you a beating you won't ever forget, not even in your next regenerations! You filthy little bastard!"  
Theta ducked as she wound up for another punch. Yet he failed to step aside in time to avoid a kick against the shin.

"Shame on you! Shame on you!" the chambermaid kept yelling and spitting until Theta turned on his heel. He pushed past her and disappeared into the next corridor.  
"You brought dishonour upon this thrice blessed house! Just wait 'til the lord of the manor hears of this! Oh, he will be furious, I vow, he will have his revenge. You bastard! You spoilt, putrid, slutty little whore!"

Theta ran.  
He pushed back doors and stumbled through corridors, frightened, scared and horror-stricken.  
He had to get out of here!  
What was he thinking? Why did he have to try and save his skin? He'd affronted a member of the house of Oakdown, Goddamnit! No, he'd accused Koschei of conducting a hideous crime!  
And he daren't even think about how his parents would react to hearing that their son's, and thus their own, reputation had been dragged in the mud.

Oblivious to the cold wind encircling him Theta stumbled out into knee-deep snow. The door slammed shut behind him only seconds ago, leaving him wondering whether it had been evoked by a gust of wind or an enraged servant.  
He'd been feeling eyes groping all over his body during his escape.  
They'd been glaring at him. News seemed to go around quickly...

Shielding his eyes against the lashing snowstorm Theta trudged onwards, finding shelter beneath the giant Khajihla tree, the tree that marked the centre of the House of Oakdown's property. His back pressed against the chapped wood he slid down, hugging his knees while staring at the last of the tree's infructescences; frozen, as they were, they looked like small crystal balls, weightlessly swaying in the wind.  
Only now, in the biting cold, it dawned on him what pleasant memories were inherent in this place.  
And while retrospection chased after retrospection in his mind there was still one thought paramount, just one.

Koschei was going to kill him.

* * *

"Back already?"  
Koschei's snappy remark protruded from behind an enormous hinged bookshelf. Theta closed the door behind him, shaking off the last remainders of the winter wonderland outside.  
He'd vowed that he'd stay calm and play it cool. And already his hearts were beating one hell of a rhythm.

"Don't mind if I put your deficient sense of time down to your intense reading and your idleness to cast a glance outside, it's practical midnight."  
Theta gawped at Koschei. Mostly because he'd identified the heard voice as his own.

Koschei's book snapped shut with a loud thudding noise.  
Koschei arose, approaching Theta musingly.  
"Mh. Defiant behaviour, distinctive and deliberate manner of speech combined with a pre-emptive counterattack," Koschei subsumed before stepping into Theta's view. He flashed him a broad grin.  
"What's the matter?"

"Nothing," snapped Theta and folded his arms.  
Koschei harrumphed quietly before taking a step forward. He searched Theta's gaze thoughtfully.  
"You're upset," he explained levelly.  
"I'm not," snapped Theta, interrupting him.  
"You're very scared."  
"I said I'm not."  
"Oh, you're scared. Your consciousness is gonna snap any minute, alongside your conscience."  
"I don't have a guilty conscience!" yelled Theta.  
"Who said anything about guilty?" Koschei asked slyly.  
He guided Theta's steps over to the bed and let him sit down.

"Tell me," he commanded.  
Theta lifted his gaze, staring into his friend's eyes with a self-protective iciness.  
"Just tell me" repeated Koschei. He'd taken a seat beside Theta, leaning so close that his lips brushed against his ear as he spoke.

The ice inside of Theta's mind broke. And he was already drifting out to the open sea...  
"I didn't mean to," snapped Theta.  
"You didn't mean to do what?" asked Koschei politely.

"She shouldn't have enquired."  
"Who?" Koschei kept asking politely.  
"I told her it was you."  
"Me?"  
"I shouldn't have said 'raped'. I said I was raped, but I definitely shouldn't have."  
"Raped?"  
"I felt so guilty and I stopped thinking and it's Bh'ajshra Ct'hore. And I blamed you."  
"Me again?"  
"But she got angry because I dared to accuse the Lord and Master's young master."  
"Who?"  
"The chambermaid. Your father."

Koschei cradled Theta in his arms while he let that sank in. His mind operated furiously on putting the story back together in the correct order.  
Eventually he ventured:  
"You told a chambermaid that I raped you and she got angry?"  
Theta daren't nod. Koschei accepted his silence as consent.  
"So what?" Koschei went on.

Theta lifted his head staring at Koschei disbelievingly.  
"What?" he mouthed silently before eventually daring to verbalize it.  
"I said 'so what' as in 'who cares'," Koschei explained while stroking Theta's cheeks. "Your temples are feeling chilly, your brain appears to be still frozen, how long have you been out in the cold exactly?"  
"I don't understand," Theta began "I thought you'd be furious."

"Why?" Koschei enquired.  
"Because I accused you of raping me," Theta replied. He was definitely losing it. "Koschei, I said to a chambermaid that you violated me. Out. In the hayloft. I said I was raped."  
"Let me guess: an elderly, greying woman with her hair tied into a tight bun, wearing black, classical slavey garments?" Koschei replied.  
Theta nodded in bewilderment. Koschei burst out laughing.

"Then you've made the acquaintance of Mrs Bruthurst, my mother's personal parlour maid. The old lady's a bit set in her ways, you know. Yearning for the good old days, longing for proper manners and whatnot."  
"You're missing the point," Theta pointed out "I said I was raped by you."  
"Yes," Koschei replied "You keep reminding me of that."  
"You're not in the least way bothered by my accusations?" Theta tried again.  
Koschei popped his head to one side as if listening to some inner voice while regarding his friend vacuously. Theta waved his arms frantically. "Aren't you mad?"

"Why?" Koschei asked blasé "Because you tried to safe your own skin? I knew that you'd do that and I don't mind it at all. The only thing I mind is you upsetting our staff, so you'd really oblige me if you wouldn't run around telling servants that you were raped, alright? Or at least not as loud as you did before. They're staff, it's none of their business what you're doing. And neither is it what I'm doing with you."

Theta omitted this disquieting remark. "But this Ms... she's going to inform your mother. Or, worse yet, both of your parents."  
"And what should my father do with you, eh?" Koschei asked mockingly while getting comfortable on the bed "Scourge you, disembowel you and have you executed?"  
"Stop it," snapped Theta. Koschei chuckled as Theta went pale slowly.  
Koschei put a cushion underneath Theta's slowly sagging head. He placed him fondly on top of the bedspread, covering him with a finely woven blanket.

"Relax," Koschei sighed while caressing his hands.  
"I am relaxed," Theta replied through gritted teeth before adding a trifle quieter "as relaxed as you can be when you're facing certain death."  
"We're always facing certain death," Koschei retorted and sighed "That's what living is all about."  
"I meant certain as in 'immanent' as in your father learning that his dear son's a suspected rapist."  
"He wouldn't give a damn about it," Koschei replied while patting Theta lovingly "And that's that."

Leaning over Theta Koschei caught a glimpse of his overall-unconvinced mien. He rolled his eyes and sighed.  
"I have my father's full confidence. He trusts me. And he'd neither care if I screwed up nor if I screwed you. Technically, everything I do is put under my own jurisdiction. You don't understand what I mean, do you?"  
The last sentence was Koschei's resigned conclusion that Theta was either too nervous or too thick to get the idea.

Koschei rolled onto his side, placed his head beside Theta's and locked onto his gaze.  
Slowly, but deliberately, Theta tried to move away from him.  
"So... your father wouldn't care about... if you... when you'd actually..."  
A firm hand grabbed Theta's shoulder swiftly.  
Koschei's fingers brushed over his face, rolling his head to his side. It was the stern glare that incited Theta to keep speaking his thoughts, the thoughts Koschei had already roused.  
"He doesn't care? He wouldn't care if you'd raped me?"

There. He'd said it.  
Koschei's amber eyes melded with his. Eventually he nodded apathetically.  
This struck Theta as odd and rather disquieting.  
"Not even if you did it?"  
"He trusts me," snapped Koschei, thereby cutting him off "I don't disappoint him."  
Theta tried making sense of it: "You mean he doesn't _want_ to hear about it..."  
"Look," Koschei sighed while rolling his eyes "Our family has a different approach towards prestige and reputation. Rumours are spreading so easily, you know? It's like... you know, you can't take everything seriously. Mind you, most of the time it comes down to money anyway. Someone always thinks they're missing out. Therefore you get used to false accusations or simple misunderstandings. You see... It's as if there are different layers of 'serious'. And the bottom layer is trust in your family."

"You mean 'family trust', right?"  
Koschei stared at Theta innocently.  
"It's a question of money, right? If you can pay you're exempted from imputations."  
"That's not what I said," Koschei contradicted.  
"No, but it's what you _implied_ ," snapped Theta. "In the end everything comes down to money. And your father doesn't care about the staff's rumours because he _thinks_ that they're not true but because he _knows_ that there's nothing he can't buy his way out of."

Koschei let that sink in unfazed. Finally he dared a smirk.  
"For a privileged guest you're somewhat impertinent," Koschei remarked.  
"Oh, I'm privileged," growled Theta, annoyed by Koschei's dismissive tone of voice "Does that mean that whatever I'm doing will be hushed up _too_?"

Koschei shook his head; the smile on his face remained unperturbed.  
"Excuse me" Koschei went on " _Extremely_ impertinent is what I intended to say."  
"Do you think that's funny?" Theta snapped. Koschei placed both of his hands on his cheeks.  
"I think it's really funny that you're making a mountain out of a volehill," Koschei replied levelly "Though I'd personally prefer it if you'd shut that pretty little mouth of yours right now." And with those words he leaned over, sealing Theta's lips with a kiss.  
But Theta pushed him aside. "I'm not in the mood right now. And if I wanted a rich punter screwing me I'd pulled one yesterday."

Secretly Theta wished he could have stopped himself from saying it. But his stupid Prydonian pride rendered it impossible for him to step down now. And, worst of all, he tended to forget that there was a serious reason why you shouldn't rile Koschei.  
But that was the trouble with Koschei, wasn't it?  
Koschei was never mad about things, he was _just_ mad. You could only summon the demons from darker parts of his mind, the abysmal atrocities wound tightly in that, by comparison, fragile skull by infuriating him.  
When Koschei was furious he would neither beat you up nor raise his voice.  
He'd become really calm and quiet. Koschei never had to look before he leapt – he _prepared_.

But Theta himself was too unsettled to notice the warning signals. And he was too vexed to tread careful.

Koschei got into a kneeling position beside him. Theta was annoyed by Koschei's silence and his precise fingers, stroking decidedly over his chest were getting on his nerves.  
"Really, Kosch," Theta snapped "Stop that."  
Silently Koschei crawled on top of him, palpating the upper parts of his hip bones experimentally before lowering his weight onto Theta's pelvic area.  
"I said stop!" Theta growled while trying to push Koschei off him. When did Koschei ever become so strong?, he found himself wondering.  
"When I've been out, in the open air, practising and exercising," Koschei commented on Theta's thoughts, adding with a bitter little smile, "Like you should have done, too. It's our job as soldiers after all. Well, you definitely remember the first lesson we've learned, don't you?"

Unconsciously Theta felt the words, the first _dogma_ they'd received from their immane drill sergeant along with a blow to the head, booming in his skull: "A soldier has no weakness."

"Good boy," chuckled Koschei while reading his thoughts, "However I've come to notice that I currently have you at your disadvantage." Having said that, Koschei began moving on top of him, thrusting his hips forward and grinding them against Theta's.  
"Getoffme!" hissed Theta, the tender skin above his hipbone bruising at Koschei's hurtful activity.  
But his tone of voice had changed; it had lost its offensive, threatening edge and was slowly reduced to a pleading whimper.  
At which point Koschei held out his index finger in front of Theta's face.  
"Rule number two?" Koschei ordered.  
"Mercy is a weakness!" Theta's mind produced obediently.

Koschei, steadily chafing against Theta's body, took the liberty of laughing in his friend's hardening face.  
"I never even knew you'd been paying attention during lessons," he added with a smirk.  
"Koschei, stop!" snapped Theta "Stop it." Having caught a glimpse of the tiny glimmering spark in Koschei's eye he added: "I don't want to. Stop humping me and get off me."

"It would certainly please the servants to hear you scream," Koschei mused motionless while feeling for Theta's soft skin beneath his clothes, "and you could say that I raped you."  
"Koschei!" Theta spat. But his certainty had drained away, being replaced only by doubts compounded with scepticism. "You wouldn't do that," Theta stated, trying to reassure himself.

"Everything comes down to money, like you said... I can buy my way out of everything. Even our friendship, isn't that right my little Theta? You just name it. I pay it."  
"Koschei stop that, it's not funny!" Theta yelped as he felt Koschei.  
"Oh, but you should know me. I'm such a spoilt brat with no manners, I get away with everything. And I could stuff that pretty little mouth of yours with cash until you suffocate before abusing your fragile body shamelessly, because that's what we rich punters do, right? We don't care about other people."

Koschei intensified his rhythmic thrusts and Theta found himself wondering whether Koschei was too furious to pop a boner.  
"Oh, and don't worry," Koschei went on with an icy smile that sent a chill down Theta's spine, "if you don't want to scream that's fine by me. I can tell the staff later on that you were gagged. And I'm sure my father will buy you out without verifying your injuries personally. Oh, and if you tell him that it was your first time he'll probably double the price."

The world around him fell silent.  
Theta locked gazes with Koschei, feeling the cold creeping over him, seeing the glimmer in his eyes, the cold, unaffected smile upon his lips. Different layers of _serious_...

The sounds rushed back at a deafening level as Theta slapped Koschei's face.  
He'd slapped him hard and without thinking about it.  
And he'd pushed him off and smacked him a second time with trembling fingers.  
The next time he could think straight again he was out on the corridor, his shout "I hate you!" being a vague, unreal memory.

Tears welled up in his eyes as he rushed down the corridor, pushed past the cursing servants and darted through the next unlocked door.  
He stumbled forward, his eyes slowly getting accustomed to the darkness.  
A thick and heavy dampness hung in the air, but its mugginess was enhanced by a faint smell of fresh violas.  
Theta tumbled onwards, his feet prodding something soft. He knelt down apathetic to feel his hands buried in a heap of cloth. Theta slumped down, collapsing against the heap before daring to sob, burying his face in the soft fabric. He didn't care if it was either a freshly laundered tablecloth or old, worn out undergarments. Secretly he wished for nothing more than choke to death and never be found again.

Theta was desperate, crying shamefully and cursing under his breath whenever a sob escaped his lips.  
He felt empty. He was broken open. And he'd never felt so insecure.  
Koschei had...  
No! Theta stopped those thoughts as soon as they emerged. Koschei had poked fun at him, as always. He just never knew when to stop.  
Theta felt stupid for letting Koschei's words unsettle him. But back there in his room, lying on his bed on top of him, he'd scared the living hell out of him. And he hadn't doubted his words for a second...

Theta sunk deeper into the languorous cloth, huddling against the warm fabric and drying his tears on it.

He stared straight ahead into the dark nothingness as he felt a hand touching his shoulder gingerly. He lay there, lifeless, stiff and immobile.  
He showed no response to the encouraging pats, the tender kisses and the soft strokes his body was soon covered with. He just stared.  
But his gaze softened as he met a pair of crestfallen amber eyes.  
And he sunk into Koschei's warm embrace with a stifled yelp.


	6. The Master's revenge

_"_ _Do you think this is some kind of joke? Put them on already. Like I said we're running late. And I need to get changed, too."  
The Doctor stared at the dark red fabric the Master had trust into his hands unbelievingly.  
Eventually he dared to glance upwards at the Master, who was currently occupied with flying his TARDIS.  
"What?" the Doctor asked, unable to catch up with the current events "What?!"  
He turned the exquisite cloth in his hands.  
As it unfolded he stared down at the uncommon insignia. His eyes widened in horror._

* * *

"Awake, o bright angel."  
Theta stirred beneath the blanket as he was woken from his sleep.

He felt... strange. 'Unfamiliarly relaxed' was the first words that sprang to his mind to express his sensation. Oh, and warm. Really warm.  
He didn't know how they'd ended up here – last night being nothing more than a vague, truthless memory-but Theta felt a strangely heart-warming cosiness. He couldn't remember when he'd ever felt so comfortable around Koschei.

Maybe it was the warmth of the sun caressing his naked skin that made it so unreal. His mind was on felicity overload. And maybe the sun didn't shine, and the birds didn't sing outside and maybe it wasn't Koschei's exhilarating scent. But Theta didn't feel tranquillity – he _was_ tranquil happiness himself.

Theta lifted his head, thereby pushing back the blanket. Koschei caressed his forehead fondly as he ran his fingers through his hair.  
Theta snuggled up to Koschei, casting a tired glance at the book in his hands.  
"Old English literature," Koschei explained; he petted Theta's neck as his face was buried in his lap. "Funny, isn't it?" he chuckled after a while.  
Theta stirred in his lap. "Mwhat?" he asked and yawned.  
"This 'Old English literature from earth," Koschei explained, "I borrowed it from the Future Library*. So technically speaking, the words I've quoted will not be written for another 500 years. And it's already called 'old'."

Theta growled quietly. At which point he heard the book snapping shut and Koschei got out of bed.  
With the lap he'd been resting in sliding away beneath him Theta sagged some more.  
"You ought to get dressed, it's almost noon." As Theta managed to lift his head Koschei was already heading for the door. "And I'm going to get you some tea."

"Why?" Theta asked dizzily.  
"Because one cuddly Theta plus one tired Theta equals one extremely displeasing Theta if he doesn't get his tea soon," Koschei smiled at him.  
"No I meant..." Theta yawned, interrupting his own speech, "Why should I get dressed?"  
"Because you're about to participate in one of my parent's banquets. After all, today marks the beginning of the second part of Inshrakhata's Midsummer Night celebration. Oh, and I may add that there are only a few invited guests dining with us. Intimate friends of my parents, you know... not just the usual but the extremely snobby respectable society. "

Koschei was pleased to find Theta chuckling.  
"So get up and get dressed," he added in a tone of voice which was not to be disobeyed.

Theta grumbled something incomprehensible and disappeared beneath the blanket.  
"By the way," Koschei popped his head back into the room again "Did I mention that you're parent's are invited, too and expect to see you at your best?"

* * *

"And who's this?" Theta asked sheepishly while nodding to the arriving guests.  
"That's the Minister of Advanced Agriculture accompanied by his wife," Koschei explained and bowed respectfully. Theta followed his example almost instantly.  
"He's been cheating on her for three years now," Koschei went on in a low voice while Theta leaned closer, "It is rumoured that when she found out she hacked both of his legs off and made him eat them."  
Theta giggled while watching the mentioned couple intrigued.  
"He still appears to be limping," Theta pointed out.  
"I think his legs haven't grown back yet," Koschei added, "Which comes as no surprise at his age."

Both of them chuckled quietly as they watched another pair of distinguished figures walking past them.  
Theta turned to look at Koschei.  
"Former ambassador to Skaro," Koschei commented as both of them bowed, "addicted to gambling and philandering."

Again Theta chuckled. His fingers brushed over Koschei's cheek briefly.  
"When you said that this was one of those swanky 'invited guests only'-dinners I really had my doubts," Theta stated "And I never thought it could be so much fun."  
"I'm very pleased to hear that you're enjoying yourselves," Theta spun around aghast to find Koschei's mother standing right behind them.  
Her thin lips creased and formed a meek little smile.  
How could someone with high-heeled shoes walk so quietly?, he found himself wondering, And she's practically overloaded with necklaces and gems, so how come she doesn't jingle?

Absent-minded she patted Koschei's back of the head before her fingers went stiff.  
"You'd really oblige me if you'd take your seats at the long table," she added scantily before wiping her gloved hand at a monogrammed handkerchief "Koschei will be so kind as to guide you to your seat."

"She's a wicked old tart, that woman," groaned Koschei as he led Theta's steps to the large dining table. He cast a glance at the pompous decoration.  
"Why?" Theta asked, "Because she pretends she didn't hear us talking?"  
"No, because her seating arrangement allows us to sit side by side but we're sitting right next to our parents, thus putting both our manners to the test while ensuring that we'll be kept under strict surveillance."

Koschei pulled back a chair and let Theta sit down before claiming the seat next to him.  
He nodded to a tall woman, who was wearing too much make-up, diagonally opposite and greeted her with a charming smile before leaning over to Theta: "Foreign Chancellor's Secretary." Theta observed her closely. "She got a leg up and he got a leg over."

"But why is she here?" Theta asked wonderingly, "She doesn't look important. And she's tawdrily dressed."  
"You can't buy good taste," Koschei replied and shrugged.  
"But apparently you can buy invitations to your parents' festivities," chuckled Theta.  
He felt a pat on the shoulder. It wasn't one of those friendly 'You jest, my little one'-pats but a typical 'alright, we're in good company right now, but when we'll get home I'll cuff your ears, let's see how funny _that_ is'-pat which only meant one thing.  
Theta turned and smiled at his father nervously.

His father pulled him closer. "Listen. We owe this invitation to your good friend Koschei's relations and we ought to be eternally grateful. These banquets are of uttermost importance, where else do you think we can network? You may not believe me but one day you'll be proud when you're invited to dine with important people. So please, please try to act like a well-behaved member of the affluent society, alright?"  
Theta sighed and nodded callously.  
"By the way," his father looked him over wonderingly, "where did you get those garments?"  
"Koschei lend them to me," Theta mumbled, aware of Koschei's smirk; he kicked his shin under the table.  
As he came to notice his father had adjusted to the customary manners and took no notice of Koschei's lecherous smile.  
Instead he leaned back, sighing gloomily while shaking his head. "You don't deserve a friend like him, Theta."

Theta was about to protest while narrowing his eyes at his father as Koschei grabbed his hand beneath the table and squeezed it tenderly while interposing: "I'm afraid we don't deserve one another."

Theta relaxed a bit. Koschei waited until his friend had drawn a deep breath before he went on explaining.  
"And to your right side you'll see the High Council's Representative of Communication Science, Member of Parliament, and Janet." With malevolence in his voice he added: "Swingers."  
"Janet?" Theta repeated wonderingly "Just 'Janet'?"  
Koschei shrugged.  
"According to rumours he picked her up on an alien planet. She's believed to have worked as a showgirl."

Koschei received a pat on shoulder as his mother passed him; she didn't as much sit down as float.  
"Introducing your friend into society, as I hope," she remarked quietly while staring straight ahead.  
Koschei's smirk broadened; like Theta's father she was oblivious to it.  
"Not just introducing," Koschei replied sweetly, "explaining and elucidating. You could say...," under the table his hand nestled to Theta's groin, "...we're feeling it out."

"Marvellous" his mother added without even listening.  
Koschei chuckled; Theta tried to free his nether regions from his friend's grip.

A rather peculiar couple had taken their seats opposite to them. Theta eyed the two men up closely. They looked like rich punters; well at least one of them, who wore light and luminous garments and talked in a way Theta unconsciously associated with 'vainglorious'. And he'd managed to pick up a conversation so easily...  
The other man, dressed in the finest dark-red velvet, richly ornamented with bobbin lace, peeked at his surrounding sheepishly while avoiding the other guest's glares. And it struck him as odd that he kept avoiding his gaze in particular.

Koschei's mother regarded the late arriving guests with mild disinterest. "I do beg your pardon, my dear sir, but your sublime name has slipped my mind..."  
The communicative one of the two men smiled at her knowingly before unfolding a leather wallet and handing it to her. "You shame me by apologizing. I haven't been to this place for what feels like uh..." he darted a sideway glance at his companion before adding "centuries?"  
He gave a hearty chuckle. The coy man beside him rolled his eyes.

On Koschei's mother's face the expression of disinterested surrendered to downright delight.  
She widened her eyes in excitement and smiled at the man opposite to her.  
"Pardon my previous curiosity, how could I not recognize you?"

Koschei's mother grabbed her son's hand (and Theta visibly sagged in his seat since he felt his other hand fingering him provocatively) and patted it tenderly.  
"May I introduce you to my son, Koschei," she added warmly. She dared a quick glance at Koschei to make sure he wasn't doing anything right now she ought to feel embarrassed about.  
Before the man's eyes her usual iciness seemed to melt away.  
"This is Lord De Maître, former President of the High Council, chairman of the Supranational Renewable Life Forms Society, Chancellor of the Suburbian Import Monetary Ministry, Promotio sub auspiciis Praesidentis, and..." she dared another glance at the document in her hands "...his concubine."

"Consort" the just now introduced man replied and chuckled.  
"Oh, I'm eternally sorry, Lord De Maître..." Koschei's mother stammered, "It's an unforgivable mistake. And this after you're doing us credit by visiting our mansion..."

"Oh, madam" Lord De Maître replied with a little smile on his lips while retrieving his wallet "Again you're putting me to shame. I was only travelling..." there was again a brief moment where the two men's eyes met; the coy man scowled at Lord De Maître before he went on "...with my favourite paramour and happened to be passing through. And what could be better than spending the **Spheric Inshrakhata evening at your humble ceremony?"  
"Indeed, I always thought of myself as a very modest woman," Koschei's mother replied and let go off her son's hand.  
Koschei seized the opportunity and buried both of his hands in Theta's lap.  
Theta gave a quiet groan and cursed Koschei under his breath.

Theta watched the couple vis-à-vis critically. His brows knitted. Something seemed wrong.  
Well, it _felt_ wrong. Lord De Maître...

Theta held his breath as Koschei's practiced fingers pleased him tenderly.  
He rolled his eyes at him before overhearing the whispered conversation from the far side.

 _"_ _First you steal my TARDIS, then you steal my psychic paper and then you're crossing your own Timeline while forcing me into crossing my own! This is a disaster. And... Lord De Maître? Seriously?"  
"Oh, just shut up Doctor" snarled the Master before nodding to another pompously garnished guest "We're here, we ought to have some fun. You didn't really think the universe would collapse if we dared a trip back to Gallifrey, did you? We're not interfering...we've been here before. Well, our future selves have been here when we've been those two over there."  
He smiled at the Doctor who cocked an eyebrow at him: "Relax. Nothing has happened.  
"Nothing has happened?" the Doctor repeated furiously "You call that nothing? I'm... I'm not your concubine! Why did she say concubine, what did you do to my psychic paper?"_

 _"_ _I didn't do anything," the Master replied before adding with a broad grin: "It just lets you see what you want to see. Face it Doctor... you are my concubine!"  
The Doctor rolled his eyes._

Theta felt the painfully swelling lust between his legs. He flashed Koschei a pleading glance.  
Koschei arouse, dragging Theta after him.  
"If you'd be so kind as to excuse us..." Koschei announced quietly, unnoticed by the rest of the guests and only noted by his mother, "I ought to have a little chat with my friend in private."

 _"_ _They're so cute, aren't they?" the Master added, giving the Doctor a pat on the back that made him spill his wine, "And Theta is in for a treat."  
The Doctor pulled a wry face. "Please, stop that. That's disgusting. That's me! This little boy, getting shagged senseless in the kitchen in a few seconds is me!"  
"I know," the Master replied, placing a hand on the Doctor's knee under the table "Sweet, isn't it?"  
The Doctor rolled his eyes, hoping that the Master would pick up a conversation sooner or later  
He busied himself by depleting the first wine bottle in front of him.  
But for some reason the Master wouldn't let go off him. _

_"_ _Did I ever tell you that red really becomes you?" the Master mused.  
The Doctor sighed, reached for his wine glass and quaffed its content down._

"Come on," the Master incited him, "for old time's sake. If you do this now I won't steal your TARDIS later on. Please. Just this once. You won't be disappointed."  
The Doctor sighed and rolled his eyes.  
Well, it was Inshrakhata, what could you expect?

 _"_ _Please," the Master begged, managing to massage some life in the Doctor's till now limp limb.  
"Alright," he replied eventually, annoyance reverberating in his voice "Where?"  
The Master gave this some consideration while staring at the Doctor.  
"The laundry room?" he asked. "Laundry room it is," the Doctor replied while getting onto his feet unsteadily "And if Mrs Bruthurst catches us this time _you _'ll explain it to her."_

* * *

* The Future Library, one of the many departments of the Academy's library's sectors, contains potential books, books which _will_ someday exist but haven't been written yet. Incidentally the complete sector materialized during a failed experiment. And eventually the Academy's board members agreed that, though the library's existence proofed that there was a distorted and undiscovered wormhole concealed in the Academy's building, they should make the best of it, e.g. making use of inventions yet to be discovered.

**Name of the second solar festival of Inshrakhata.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Thanks for reading! I'll be back with more fluffs soon. And just out of pure curiosity: Did you prefer the fluffy part or the abuse/rejection part?**


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